Coupling device



H. J. NEUFANG COUPLING DEYICE Nov. 8, 1927.

Filed Sept. 2, 1926 INYENTOR f w Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

-UNITED HENRY J. NEU ANG, or ATLANTA, new YORK,ASSIGNOR or ONE-THIRD 'ronYA'r'r' C. HATCH AND ONE-THIRD TO BERNIS 1V. HATCH, BOTH'OF ATLANTA, NEW YORK. I

CQUPLING DEVICE.

Application filed September 2, 1926. Serial No. 133,264..

The present invention relates to a coupling device and has for its object to provide more particularly improved coupling means for cooperation with a draft connection, which may be employed to connect a tractor or other pulling means with various types of farming implements, such as plows, barrows, cultivators and the like to which said couling device may be conveniently attached.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved coupling devicefor connecting plows or other ground working 1H1,

plements with the draft connection of a tractor or the like which is so designed as to afford automatic release of the latter when ex cessive or abnormal loads are applied thereto, and which after release can be conveniently recoupled upon backing up the tractor to a predeterminedposition with respect to the coupling device.

A further ob ect of the invention is to provide a coupling device of simple construction embodying comparatively few parts which will be economical to manufacture and highly efficient in operation.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combination of parts all as will be more fully described hereinafter, the'novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a coupling device embodying the invention with a draft connection therefor shown in section;

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing the device coupled to a draft connection;

= Figure 3 is a sectional elevation taken on line 33 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a sectional plan taken on line t P of Figure 1.

Similar reference numerals throughoutthe several views indicate the same parts. Referring to'the drawings represents generally a frame mounted for back and forth-movement upon a horizontally disposed draft bar 11 the ends of which are connected with the opposite ends of a rearwardly extending draft connection 12 adapted tojbe suitably connected as by a bolt 13 with the forward portion 14 of aground working implement, not shown, which constitutes a connection for a plow or other implementtowhich it may be desiredto apply the present coupling device. The conne tion 12 carries apair of upstanding supports 15 and 16, the latter having a horizontally extending portion connected with'the for mer by a bolt 18' forming a pivot for a lever 19; The lower end of the lever is connected by a link 20 with a lug 21 on the coupler carrying frame 10 whereby means is provided for shifting the coupler to different positions upon the horizontalv draft bar 11 in orderthat the coupler may be properly adjusted with respect to the difierent implements with which it is used. A notched segment 22 is 'carriedby the arm 17 ofthe support 16 and is adapted to receive a spring pressed latch bolt 23 havinga link .24 extending therefrom and connected with a finger lever 25 for releasing, the latchboltgsaid lever being pivoted at 26 upon the main operating lever 19 adjacent the hand grip portion 27 thereof as shown in Figure 2.- I l y The framelO comprises upper and lower bracket members the latter'being inthe form of spaced angle bars having vertically disposed portionsv 28 provided with horizontally extending flanges 29 while the upper bracket member includes vertically disposed sections 30having a transverse vconnection 31 adjacent their front ends and also having horizontally disposed flange portions 32 as shown in Figure 4;. The bracket members are connected by across tie 33 extending therebetween at a suitable point in front of the draft bar 11 and connected with the flanges 29 and 32 by bolts 34. A pair of rollers 35 only one of; which is 'shown,-is disposed between the flanges 29 and 30 in position to engage the forward edge of the draft bar 11, said rollers being free to rotate upon bolts 36 extending therethrough and through the flanges of the bracket members. 'A' second pair of rollers is disposed between the flanges in position to engage the rear face of the draft bar 11, onev of said rollers being indicated at 37. The last mentioned rollers are carried by bolts 38 extending therethrough and through the rear ends of the flanges 29 and 32. The rollers are adapted to travel upon the vertical faces of the draft bar. 11

isv indicated at 39 and is pivoted between the vertically disposed sections 28 of the lower bracket and upon a, transversely extending and serve to guide thecoupler carrying frame y bolt 40 connecting" the front ends'of said, sections 28. The lever 89 provided with an outwardly and vertically extending angular portion14l adapted to receive the looped endof adrift connection 42 on the rear end of a draft bar 43 which may be connected in any suitable manner with a tractor .or other pulling means not shown. iv p is provided with a rearwardly extending The draft lever arm projecting between the vertical sections of the upper bracket member as shown both in liigures2and 3 and terminating in a'substantially horizontal tail" portion 44.

In the normal operating position of the lever 39' its rear portion is adapted to he upon the upper face ofl the tie moi'nbcr 33 which is cut away at center as indicated at 45 to form a rest for the lever. A latch or "look member 46. is provided for holding the lever in the positionlshown in Figure 2 under normal operating conditions. The latch. has its rear end pivotally disposed between the vertical sections 30 of the upper bracketupon a bolt 47 extending through and connecting said; sections as shown in Figures 3 and" 4. Z The latch is adapted, adjacent to its pivot point, to overlie and engage the horizontally disposed rear end portion of the draft lever and extends upwardly .havingits' lower end connected to one of the flanges 32 of the upper bracket member and the other to a curved arm or handle 49, the inner portion of which is suitably connected With'the outer end of the latch 46 as shown inFiguI'e 3. The arm 49. is provided with a scries'of' openings 5-0f'or receiving the hook on the outer end of the spring, the openings beingat differentdis'tances from the'pivot point of the latch so that the further from said point the outer end of the spring is carried the greater the expansion of the spring and consequently the greater the resistance offered to the release of the latch. The latch, under the control. of the springis designed toresist a predetermined load, that is, a certain pull on the draft connection 4243 suflicient to advance the plowior other'iinplement under ordinary service conditions. However, when the plow strikes an obstruction the resistance of which is greater than that afford-ed by the latch, the latter will be automatically moved to the position shown in Figure 3 in which the movement oflthe'lever is limited by the connectionr3l between the opposite sections of the frame 10'. The lever this position is still maintained in engagement with the latch in position to be reset upon backing up the tractor, in whichcase the loop 42 will engage the lever at a point 51 thereon and return it to normal position asshown. in Figure 2, the angular or ho-ol; portion 41 of the lever being forced into the loop and the spring acting at the same time to return the latch'to normal, position. The arm 49 serves as a handle by which the operator may release the latch for c upling or uncoupling when desired-L :Theouter end of" the upper bracket memher is preferably inclined upwardly asehown in Figure 3 to afford ample space between it and'the angular portion 4 10f.- the lever for the entranceofthe draft loop. 42 upon backing up the tractor to effect recoupling as explained above. The flanges are cutaway at their front ends at a point slightly in rear of the connection 31 in order to narrow the bracket member at this point for convenience i n'coupli ng and uncoupling, and a central portion52 of the flange is left to form a guide for the: loop 42' when beingmoved into coupling position; Y

I claim as myinven-tion: N

1. A; coupling device of 1 the class described comprising a frame, a draft lever pivoted upon the fraineand! providedwith an angula-rly disposed outer end portion adapted-"to receive a draft connectionand havinga 'rearwardly extending arm termi-' nating in a substantiallyhorizontal tail; portion, a latch pivoted upon the frame adjacent the tail portion adapted to engage the latter to resist outward movement of r the same and a springeXte-ndingtransversely of the frame and having one-end connect-ed. with the forward end of the latter and the other with the latch in advance of its pi vot point-"and adapted topermit releaseof the latch when an abnormal load? is applied to the lever. I

2. A coupling device of the class described comprising frame, a draft lever pivoted upon the frame and provided with an angularly disposed outer end" portion adapted to receive a draft member and havinga'rear wardly extending arm, a forwardly extending latch upon the frame having-itsre'ar end pivoted thereon and adapted to engage" the rear end of'the arm to resist displacement of, the lover, a spring adapted to resist out ward movement of the latch under normal loads but permitting its release"- under an ab"- normal. load on the lever and means upon the frame for limiting the movement of'tlie lever upon release thereof whereby said arm will be maintained in engagement with the forwardly extending portion of the latch in extreme release position.v I,

3. A coup-ling device of, the class described comprising a frame, a draft lever pivoted upon the frame and provided with an angularly disposed outer end portion adapted to receive a draft member and having a rear wardly extending arm, a forwardly extending latch pivoted upon the frame adjacent the rear end of the lever arm the latter being adapted to swing in engagement with the latch during movement to and from release position, and yieldable means adapted to prevent release of the latch under normal loads on the lever but permitting its release under abnormal loads.

l. A coupling device of the class described comprising a frame, a draft lever pivoted thereon and provided with an angularly disposed outer end portion adapted to receive a draft connection and having a rearwardly extending arm portion, aforwardly extending latch pivoted upon the frame adjacent the rear end of the arm and adapted to engage the latter in all positions of the lever, an arm extending from the latch and a spring having its inner end connected with the frame and its outer end connected with the arm, said outer end being adjustable to different positions upon the arm whereby to vary the tension of the spring. a

5. In a coupling device, a transversely and horizontally disposed draft bar, a frame comprising bracket portions adapted to lie on the upper and lower sides of the bar, spaced connecting members for said bracket portions adapted to engage the vertical faces of the bar to hold the frame against longitudinal displacement, a draft lever pivoted between the bracket portions thereof, the frame having its outer end formed to receive a draft connection and its opposite end extending inwardly upon the frame, a latch pivoted upon the frame adjacent the rear end of the lever adapted to normally hold the lever in operating position and arranged .to engage the same in release position and a spring having one end connected with the frame and the other withthe latch.

6. In a coupling device of the class described, a draft bar, a frame connected therewith comprising upper and lower sections between which the bar is disposed, said sections each having spaced vertical portions provided with horizontally disposed flanges, means connecting the flanges of the sections,

a draft lever pivotally disposed between the vertical portions of the lower section and having its outer end formed to recelve a draft connection and its opposite end ex tending rearwardly between the vertical portions of the upper section, a latch for the lever having its rear end pivoted between the vertical portions of the last mentioned section and adapted to engage the rear end of the lever and-yieldable means normally v holding the latch in looking position and adapted to permit release of the same under a predetermined load applied to the'lever.

T. In a coupling device of the class described, a draft bar, a frame connected therewith comprising upper and lower sections between which the bar is disposed, said sec-' tions each having spaced vertical portions provided with horizontally disposed flanges,

a tie member between the sections, a draft lever pivotally disposed between the vertical portions of the lower section and having its outer end formed to receive a draft connection and its opposite end extending rearwardly between the vertical portions of the upper section and adapted to rest upon said tie member, a latch for the lever having its rear end pivoted between the vertical portions of the last mentioned section and adapted to engage the rear end of the lever, yieldable means normally holding the latch in looking position and adapted to permit release of the same under a predetermined load applied to said lever, and a stop carried by the upper section for limiting the moigement of the lever when released by the late 1.

8. A coupling device of the class described comprising a draft bar, a frame including bracket members disposed above and belowthe draft bar each of the bracket members including spaced portions extending forwardly of the draft bar, means connecting l the bracket members at opposite sides of the draft bar, a draft lever pivoted between the spaced portions of one of the bracket members and arranged to extend between the spaced portions of the other bracket mem- 'ber, means on the last mentioned bracket permit release of the latter when an abnormal load is applied to the lever.

HENRY J. NEUFANG. 

